National Libraries Day

A week tomorrow (4th February) is the UK’s National Libraries day. As you may have seen this blog is very pro libraries so I thought I would share this with you.

This is what the organisers have to say about this inaugural event:

National Libraries Day is devoted to all types of libraries, library users, staff and supporters across the UK. Join in by organising a celebratory event, contributing to our forums, tweeting with the #NLD12 hashtag and visiting your local library on the 4 February or the week leading up to it. How will you get involved?

So what can you do to get involved? If you are a library user check out this map to see if something is already happening at your local library. Their other suggestions include:

Make connections: Get in touch with your local library and find out what they are doing for NLD12. If they have nothing planned, why not talk to them about arranging a celebration, party, author event or read-in?

Share the love! Introduce a colleague, friend or family member to the library that you love, get them to join and show them why it is so great!

Spread the word about why we should all love our libraries. Why not tweet #NLD12 ‘I love my library because…’, ‘like’ NLD12 on our Facebook page or upload a fun picture of you & your library to Flickr.

Feeling creative? Why not make a video, animation or song celebrating libraries, librarians and what they mean to you. Post them on YouTube and watch/comment on other people’s efforts!

Branch out! If you usually borrow a book, why not access the Internet instead. If you’re always online why not borrow a book? Take a look around and see what other exciting services your library has to offer.

Ask! Make NLD12 the day that you put that question’s you’ve always meant to ask to your local library staff! Tell them the subjects you’re interested in and see what they suggest – you might be surprised!

They also have some suggestions for the library staff too as its not too late to join in:

Encourage people to use your library and find out about all the services you offer. If you’re a public library, why not run ‘mini taster sessions’ of the services you provide throughout the week?

If you’re a university or commercial library why not go ‘open access’ for the day and show people what you do? You could even invite the decision makers in your organisation to the library for a personal tour?

Persuade people to ‘come in from the cold’ on Saturday 4th February by offering warming drinks and cake/biscuits in your library building. Once they are in you can tell them about all the great services you provide.

Library Treasures: organise a ‘treasure hunt’ by hiding clues around your library – the first one to solve the final clue wins a prize.

Give a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of your organisation – show your library users all those areas of the library that you normally keep to yourself.

Put on a special event that gets people through the door – an author talk, a creative session with an illustrator, a party?

Run a membership campaign in the week running up to NLD12. Hand out flyers in your local pubs, community and shopping centres. You could even enter everyone who joins that week into a prize drawer.

Anticipate the day by asking users to write on a piece of paper or post-it note why they love their library or librarian and then create a display. If you have old photographs of your library, make a mini exhibition to act as a talking point and provoke nostalgic reminiscences.

If you’re running an event make sure you contact the local press and invite them along. Think about setting up a photo opportunity.

Does a local celebrity support your library? Why not get them involved, set up a signing, photo opportunity or talk/reading. Get them to tweet why your library is the best of the rest!

Contact your local MP and invite them to the library, perhaps they could run their surgery session in the library that week?

Do you have a Women’s Institute near to you? Are they interested in getting involved? Why not ask them what they’d like to do?

If you would like to help raise money for the campaign then The Literary Gift Company are donating 50p from the sale of each of their special library items.

So make sure you do something and help save our libraries by showing how much we love them!